Create a sense of urgency.
There is no point in waiting to start implementing the change, and it is important to create a sense of urgency. Help members of the organization understand this urgency by presenting the market situation, the competition, and the challenges that await you as a result.
The more people think and talk about the need for the change you are proposing, the higher its priority will become. It is important to maintain a dialogue with individuals, teams, and departments that are to take part in the change, presenting specifics, data, an outline of the plan, and change scenarios, and then collecting feedback. Ask for the involvement of people key to the change, e.g., managers, sponsors, or team leaders.
Build a guiding coalition.
o implement the change, you will need a team to lead it, consisting of effective leaders who are listened to in the organization and have a network of contacts. They do not necessarily have to be people with high hierarchical positions in the company.
Try to engage them emotionally, show what impact the change will have on their areas, present clearly what you mean, take their feedback into account, and stay in touch with them. Work together on implementing the change and make sure to monitor the progress.
Form a strategic vision and initiatives.
Create a vision of change from the ideas that will be born, comparing the present or past with the future that will follow the change. Outline some of the steps in the strategy, as you need precise actions and initiatives for specific teams or departments. Avoid a lack of specifics and a “blurred vision”, and ensure that change leaders are able to present this vision to people in an easy-to-understand way.
Enlist a volunteer army.
Communicating the vision should take place on several levels and must reach the largest possible audience. When you are ready, present the vision to the company forum, but preferably not at a separate meeting.
Use the support of vision enthusiasts at various levels of the organization, for example, by publishing their testimonials on social media. Implement the vision yourself, showing by your own example what attitudes are important, as change cannot be limited to words.
You can implement the new approach in many aspects of everyday work, such as reports, meetings, training, and presentations.
Enable action by removing barriers.
Check how the current company structure, hierarchy, and processes relate to your vision of change; they may need to be removed, simplified, or changed. Identify two groups of people: those who help in implementing the change (remember to appreciate their commitment) and those who resist. Devote time to this second group by talking to them, identifying their fears and reluctance, and engaging them in dialogue, proposals, and implementing changes.
Generate short-term wins.
Focus on achieving quick results and successes, and do not stretch the implementation of change over time. You need results that you can show, so create short-term goals, milestones, and deadlines. Remember that your first goals cannot be time-consuming and costly.
Sustain acceleration.
Quick results and successes are the beginning of a long-term and deep change. After each of them, analyze what went well and what can still be improved. Communicate successes on an ongoing basis to increase credibility, and set further goals so that the pace of change does not drop.
Institute change.
For the change to be lasting, it must become part of the company’s culture. Change leaders should continue to monitor and implement it, ensuring they have the tools and appropriate place in the organization to do so. When hiring new employees, include the already changed values or rules so that new people are embedded in the change from their first days. Continue to inform the company about initiatives that are part of the new way of thinking and acting
